Dover School Board approves policy changesDOVER — The Dover School Board dealt with a number of policy and personnel matters during Thursday’s brief monthly meeting. High School Principal Jo Lynn Taverner reported on some small policy changes in graduation requirements, the most substantial of which were the replacement of a compulsory full credit of civics with a half credit of civics and a half credit of economics and the addition of a computer class to the curriculum which could, d...

ATU athletes earn award nominationsArkansas Tech Golden Sun Rebecka Surtevall and Wonder Boys Patrick Castleberry and Jason Purdy are among the list of this year’s nominees for the Great American Conference male and female scholar athletes of the year and male and female scholar athletes of the year. The winners will be announced during Monday night’s GAC Night of Champions at the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. Administrators from the 11 current members of the l...

Dover School Board aproves policy changesDOVER — The Dover School Board dealt with a number of policy and personnel matters during Thursday's brief monthly meeting. High School Principal Jo Lynn Taverner reported on some small policy changes in graduation requirements, the most substantial of which were the replacement of a compulsory full credit of civics with a half credit of civics and a half credit of economics and the addition of a computer class to the curriculum which could, d...

Middle school bidding to start next weekDOVER — The final amended drawings and plans for Dover’s new middle school are completed and the bidding process will begin next week, with sealed bids expected to be opened July 14, according to Superintendent Jerry Owens during Thursday's School Board meeting. Board member Tom Hill, who represented the board at numerous planning sessions, said the planning had been done on an “extremely aggressive time schedule” with “intensive meetings and ...

Crafton Tull supports new GAC scholar awardsThe Great American Conference (GAC) announced a partnership with Crafton Tull to create new awards programs for the conference’s student-athletes on Thursday. The Crafton Tull/GAC Elite Scholar award will be presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average participating in each of the conference’s postseason championship tournaments. Additionally, all GAC student-athletes participating in postseason tournaments ...

ATU scholarship would aid parents of some studentsParents of first-generation college students at Arkansas Tech University will soon be able to take one course at the institution with no charge for tuition or fees. The Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees gave its approval for the initiative during a meeting at the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center on Thursday. “Perhaps this offer will serve as a launching point toward academic goals that were deferred earlier in life,” said Dr. Robin...

Pottsville fund raiserThe Pottsville Middle Grades GT students raised $1,100 for The Russ Bus during May by holding a used book sale and a bake sale at Vintage Books on East Parkway Drive in Russellville.

School Board approves bus parking areaThe Russellville School Board approved $12,508.61 for supplies and labor to create a bus parking area by the nearly completed Cyclone Gymnasium during its regular Tuesday meeting. The allocated funds will be used for asphalt, concrete and grading work. Board member Morgan Barrett said the cost was reasonable, and now was the best time to go forward with the work. Van Horn Construction Vice President Chad Weisler gave a report on the $12.5 mill...

RHS seniors visit former elementary schoolRHS seniors visit former elementary school Seniors at Russellville High school who were former Center Valley students were treated to a reception/reunion last month at Center Valley Elementary. The students watched a DVD that was made during their elementary years, visited former teachers, toured the building and played on the playground.

Because we canStudents in Arkansas Tech’s new service organization, Because We Can, organized “Clean Out for Kids” as residents of Tech dorms vacated their rooms for the summer. The group is sponsored by Dr. Sean Huss of the Behavioral Sciences Department. Huss and Sue Hastings-Bishop (pictured), visiting lecturer in the Tech Parks and Recreation Department, coordinated the students’ placement of collection boxes in 14 Tech dorms. Departing students donated...

Tech honors retiree Morgan with receptionJulie Nebben Morgan, an alumna of Arkansas Tech University and member of the university staff since 1998, is retiring effective June 30. During her nearly two decades on the Tech staff, Morgan has served in the roles of assistant to the president (1998-2004 and 2008-present) and director of alumni relations (2004-08). Morgan oversaw planning for the Arkansas Tech centennial celebration and the inauguration of Dr. Robin E. Bowen as the 12th pre...

Tech honors retiree Morgan with receptionJulie Nebben Morgan, an alumna of Arkansas Tech University and member of the university staff since 1998, is retiring effective June 30. During her nearly two decades on the Tech staff, Morgan has served in the roles of assistant to the president (1998-2004 and 2008-present) and director of alumni relations (2004-08). Morgan oversaw planning for the Arkansas Tech centennial celebration and the inauguration of Dr. Robin E. Bowen as the 12th pre...

Joe Fisher is new superintendent at AtkinsAn Arkansas Tech University graduate who started his education career at Dardanelle has been selected to be the next superintendent for the Atkins School District. The Atkins School Board called a special meeting Friday and voted to hire Joe Fisher as superintendent. He replaces Mark Gotcher, who resigned after he was named the deputy commissioner at the Arkansas Department of Education on May 30. Fisher said Saturday he was very happy to get ...

Atkins Board OKs transfer of fundsATKINS — The Atkins School Board approved a resolution to transfer funds exceeding $2.5 million into an unrestricted building fund and superintendent Mark Gotcher’s draft updating bus drivers’ professional leave policy, as well as the realigning of the middle and high schools’ exemption policies at its regular Tuesday meeting. The Board also accepted Gotcher’s resignation and, in a gesture of good will, gave its approval in the form of a 3-2 v...

GED enrollment rate dropsThe Adult Education Advisory Board discussed a drop in graduation rates and services for incarcerated individuals at the Pope County Detention Center (PCDC) and the Yell County Juvenile Detention Center (YCJDC) during its regular meeting Wednesday. Russellville Adult Education director Alan Nolan said graduation numbers have dropped this year, but the number of classroom hours students have logged has remained steady. This is because the new G...

Board rejects changing standardized test providerLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas state Board of Education has rejected a recommendation endorsed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to change the provider of standardized tests. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports the board voted 7-1 Thursday against moving from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers — or PARCC — tests to ACT tests. Hutchinson said he's disappointed and that he will work with the board and the education commi...

Woods leaves as Dardanelle Board presidentDARDANELLE — The Dardanelle School Board honored outgoing 23-year board president Jerry Don Woods during a reception before it approved insurance and other funding at its regular meeting Monday. “Twenty-three years — I mean my goodness that’s outstanding,” Dardanelle School District Superintendent John Thompson said. “He’s served as the president of the Arkansas School Board Association (ASBA) and has really been the biggest advocate of public...

Lamar votes against bereavement policyLAMAR — The Lamar School Board voted against the addition of a bereavement policy and approved the renewal of a $62,348 insurance policy that covers all of the district’s vehicles, buildings and property during its regular meeting Monday. Lamar Superintendent Roy Hester said the Board voted 3-2 against forming a school bereavement policy, which the school is currently without. “Employees get one day off in the event of an immediate family memb...

RMS loves the library nightRussellville Middle School language arts teachers recently organized a RMS Loves the Library Night in an effort to encourage students to continue reading over the summer. The teachers invited parents and students to come to the Pope County Library to hear Children’s Librarian Emily Moore share information about the library’s summer reading programs and events, and to apply for a library card. All RMS students with a Pope County library card wi...

Community photo: CenturyLink presents Dover Elementary with $1,743Dover Elementary School Principal Josh Daniels (left) and classroom teacher Amber Race were recently presented with $1,743 in technology funding from CenturyLink area plant supervisor Dustin Garrett as part of the company’s Clark M. Williams Foundation Teacher and Technology grant program. Race wrote the proposal for using an iMac computer plus digital video creation and editing capabilities in the classroom. This is one of five projects Centu...